 If you do not have time for any further questions or comments, it is time now the House will come to order. It is now time for Member's Statements. I recognize the Member from Kingston, Indiana. Thank you very much, Speaker. Today I want to highlight the Queen's Career Apprenticeship Program. Piloted in 2018, the program consists of a one-year paid apprenticeship for new grads from Queens. Candidates commit to a full-year term and employers are reimbursed for four months of salary. This initiative helps graduates in the arts and humanities transition from academia and into the workforce. The program was made possible due to the generous financial support from business leader and philanthropist Mr. Allen Rothenberg, and thanks to a partnership between Queens and Kingston Economic Development. Speaker, the program is both successful and growing. In the original year, eight jobs were created, with seven of those turning into permanent employment. The program now has 32 positions in Kingston, is launching in London and Guelph, and similar initiatives are beginning in Hamilton and Kelowna. The Queen's Career Apprenticeship Program has broad appeal for municipalities like Kingston where talent retention can be a struggle. A 2018 survey of Eastern Ontario businesses identified the shortage of skilled workers in the region as one of the top three challenges to growth. This hurts small and medium-sized businesses who can't compete with larger corporations in recruitment. And unique initiatives such as these are especially important for those graduating in such fraught times as we currently face, Speaker. So I want to thank Queens University, Mr. Allen Rothenberg, and all involved for their success and wish the program all the best in the future. Thank you, Speaker. Member, statements? I recognize the member from Ottawa, West Nippian. Thank you, Speaker. This Sunday, Ontarians will take part in yet another outdated biannual tradition, the spring-forward time change. Now, what this will mean is that Ontarians will lose an hour of sleep. Now, we will gain an extra hour of sunlight in the afternoon, but at the cost of great disruption to our sleep schedules. Thankfully, Speaker, this legislature passed the Time Amendment Act back in November, a bill that I brought forward to end the biannual time change. But of course, we want to do this responsibly. We want to make sure that this change doesn't come into force until we get Quebec and the state of New York on board. I'd like to take a moment to update this House and update all Ontarians on how that work is progressing. Speaker, I have sent a letter requesting a meeting with both Premier Legault and Governor Cuomo to discuss this very important initiative. While we haven't yet heard back from either the Premier or the Governor, there have been some positive signs. Premier Legault was asked about this in a media interview and indicated that he was open to the idea. Meanwhile, in New York State, a state senator has introduced legislation to bring about permanent daylight savings time in the state of New York. And at the national level in the United States, a senator from Florida has brought forward legislation to bring permanent daylight savings time across the United States. I look forward to us working together to make this a reality. Thank you. Member Statements. I recognize the member from Algoma, Manitouan. Thank you, Speaker. It is with sincere regret that I informed the legislature today of the passing of one of the Township of Narendra Center's brave volunteer firefighter, Roland McLean. Roland served as a volunteer firefighter for the town of Spanish and then the Township of Narendra Center for a combined total of 50 years. He was a retired captain from the Narendra Center fire department. We extend our sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow firefighters. We offer our thanks for his many years of dedicated service in protecting the lives and keeping our communities safe. Speaker, at this time, I wish to acknowledge the contribution of the hundreds of volunteer firefighters across Algoma, Manitouan, and this province. They stand shoulder to shoulder, on guard, day in, day out, to protect us all from the destructive forces of fire. They are amongst the first one on the scene when all forms of danger arise and when there is no one else to come. They work proactively in the community and remind us how to be safe in our daily lives. These men and women we call heroes, our ordinary individuals in our communities who find the strength to overcome their fears because of their deep compassion and love for people. Thank you to all of them and we pray for your continued strength and safety. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the Member for Ajax. Mr. Speaker, following the debate on Bill 255, Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Day and Thalassemia Awareness Day Act 2021, I was fortunate to be able to continue to work with those impacted by the disease in both Ajax and Durham region. I was fortunate to be able to continue to listen to the effect that these two horrible diseases have on their daily lives. As such, I've since had the opportunity to write a letter to the Federal Ministry of Health, which oversees Health Canada. The letter is a request as to when we will see Endari and other medicines currently available in the United States available to help those living with this disease approved in Canada. I've asked for more transparency from Health Canada and the federal government to ensure that this community is informed of potential decisions about upcoming medical trials and the approval of these important life-changing drugs. Mr. Speaker, the heartbreaking stories of marginalization and the suffering of those living with these diseases is unacceptable. We as Ontarians and Canadians have worked to do to enable access to and support for those suffering from Sickle Cell and Thalassemia. Mr. Speaker, as a result of the great work done by the MPPs for Barriers-Innesville and Mississauga Lakeshore, we will continue to work with local communities, Ajax residents and advocates to ensure those suffering from Sickle Cell and Thalassemia are heard clearly in Ottawa and in this chamber. I believe that we must collectively act together to ensure that the marginalization suffered by those with the disease comes to an end. And I'm hoping that all politicians and health care professionals will join those in this legislature to do that in the future. Thank you. Thank you. Member Statements. The Member for University Rosedale. Thank you. Thank you. Maus and Coles from Residence of University Rosedale who are concerned about the Ontario government's decision to ignore communities and planning rules and issue municipal zoning orders to developers. Now the Premier says he's proud of these controversial MZOs to fast-track development. Well I'll tell you what I'm not proud of. I wouldn't be proud of issuing a zoning order in Stratford to impose a glass manufacturing plant that would put the water supply at risk. I wouldn't be proud of approving an MZO so Amazon can build a warehouse on wetlands at Duffins Creek. I wouldn't be proud of the MZO that was filed to secretly demolish the foundry buildings in Toronto Centre. And I wouldn't be proud of the fact that eco-justice is taking the Ontario government to court over this very issue. Now rapid construction of projects that are in the public interests like expanding Sunnybrook Hospital, I get that. That's not what I have issue with. But what I have issue with is the government's decision to ignore planning rules and environmental needs and genuine community concerns to issue MZOs to fast-track developers for developers who give the PC government money. Like PC donor Mitchell Goldhardt, the chair of smart centres, that got an MZO to build big and worn. Or Carmine Nigro, a donor for Vic Fidelli and the former president of the PC Ontario Fund, who was connected to the MZO in Coathe Lakes to build a warm-up. The list goes on. This is not how development should proceed. Development should not be about building for personal political gain. It should be about building for the public good. I'm going to remind members that it is inappropriate to impute motive. I've just laid that out as a general reminder before we begin question period and remind members that we refer to each other by our ministerial title or our writing name talking about another matter. The next statement, the member for Ottawa said. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And today marks one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. COVID-19 has changed the way we look at things. Tragically, more than 7,000 Ontarians have died. Many more have suffered and many, many more families have suffered as well. And later on this morning, we'll honour them when we join for a moment of silence. We've learned a lot from COVID-19. We've learned that the front lines are literally everywhere and just how important we are to each other. We all owe a debt to all workers in healthcare settings who put themselves and their families at risk to care for us and our families in this pandemic. We owe a debt of gratitude to people who stock shelves, run cash registers, deliver goods, operate public transit. Literally everything people do that helps us meet our family's daily needs. And again, we just see how interconnected we all are. COVID has made that so clear. Vaccines are coming along with that hope. We still have a ways to go. And I know that we'll get through this together. And when we get through it, things have to change. Whether it's how we care for our elderly or how we make sure people have a living wage or paid sick days, we have to take the opportunity to change things and change things for the better. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the Member for Barrie, Innisfil. Thank you, Speaker. Last night I had the opportunity to attend the 2020 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards. Throughout Ontario, over 6,000 volunteers have been recognized. And volunteers are so vital to communities like mine in Barrie and Innisfil. Even throughout an incredibly challenging year, our communities had the loyal support of volunteers. They all demonstrated the very best of the Ontario spirit. The 2020 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards highlighted the volunteers who tirelessly and selfishly risked and continue to risk their lives to support their communities. And it is so important that we take the time to celebrate those volunteers. The awards recognized individuals for continuous years of volunteer service at singular organizations such as hospitals like Royal Victoria Hospital, senior centers like Hospice Simcoe, and community associations. Organizations from Barrie, Innisfil had recipients win awards for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 40, and 60 years of service awards category. They included our Furry Friends Animal Shelter, MS Society, the Aga Khan Council of Ontario, Epilepsy Ontario, Barrie Art Club, Canadian Red Cross, Georgian Bay Volunteers Search and Rescue, Barrie Integrated Baseball Association, and the Barrie Public Library. And I could go on, Speaker, but I wanted to thank all these volunteers who've touched our lives in so many ways, whether it's providing comfort to the sick, companionship for older Ontarians, or coaching children and youth soccer teams. They're the backbone of our community. Thank you. Thank you very much. Member Statements, the member for Humber River, Black Creek. Speaker, two weeks ago, Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table released a report recommending that our vaccination strategy should not just be delivered based on age alone, but it should also target those in communities with the highest amounts of COVID-19 transmission. These public health experts argue that this could not only lower Ontario's overall case count, it could also save lives. Dr. Peter Juni, one of the report's authors, warned, if those who have suffered the greatest burden during the pandemic aren't among the first to get the vaccine, then we could risk having a third wave. Black, Indigenous, and other racially marginalized communities have been amongst the most affected by this pandemic. According to Toronto Public Health data, as of December 31st, 77% of all reported COVID-19 cases in Toronto identified as being part of a racially marginalized community, even though they make up over half of Toronto's overall population. Black Creek Community Health Centre has held multiple town halls in my community to help educate people about the vaccine. Throughout this pandemic, they have helped organize many mobile COVID-19 testing centres where thousands of people who might have otherwise not been able to be tested receive COVID-19 tests. Many essential workers in my community cram into crowded buses just to put food on the table to feed their families. If this government continues to deny them paid sick days, it must immediately bring mobile vaccination clinics to the communities where it is needed most, and at times where workers can get vaccinated without having to lose pay. Otherwise, many who are most at risk simply will not receive the vaccine and many more lives across this province could be lost. Thank you. Member Statements, the member for Durham. Thank you, Speaker. Earlier this week, we celebrated International Women's Day. Every single day, women in Durham make invaluable contributions to our community, whether on the front lines of the pandemic, in running businesses, educating the next generation, or serving as leaders or volunteers in the community. Last week, I had the privilege of attending an event recognizing the contributions of some of our most outstanding and longest serving volunteers in Durham region. The Ontario Volunteer Service Awards are provincial awards, given in recognition of committed and dedicated volunteer service to an organization. This year, the awards recognize those who have continued to serve our communities in hospitals, senior centers, and community associations, even during one of the most challenging years on record. Speaker of those volunteers who received an award in Durham, whether it was a youth award, an award recognizing five or 50 years of service, 70% were women. They served at Grandview Children's Centre, the Boys and Girls Club of Durham, Lakeridge Health, Port Perry Senior Citizens Club, Community Care Durham, Oshawa Senior Community Centers, Feed the Need Durham, and the Durham Children's Aid Society, as just a few examples. I want to thank all the incredible women of Durham, the mothers, the daughters, the sisters, and the grandmothers who serve our community every day. Thank you, Speaker. Thank you, Member Statements, the Member for Northumberland, Peterborough South. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank a very special person to our community of Northumberland, Peterborough South, Kerry Tadeau. It was in November 2016 that Kerry, along with Master Corporal Colin Fitzgerald and Corporal Nick Kerr adopted a one-plus stretch of Highway of Heroes in Grafton, starting a litter cleanup to honour Major Michelle Knight-Mendez, Canada's 118th Canadian soldier who died in service of our country abroad in Canada's mission in Afghanistan. Major Mendez grew up just outside small town Grafton, Ontario, graduating from RMC and then going on to pursue a Masters at Carleton University. She was seen as a rising star in Canada's armed forces. Her family tribute said she touched so many lives it would be impossible to name everyone. She lived every day to its fullest potential and saw the best in everyone. Mr. Speaker, it's in that spirit that her friend, Kerry Tadeau, brings together a truly remarkable group of volunteers, silver cross-mothers, and veterans to clean up the on and off ramps along the Highway of Heroes. This cleanup has now stretched to mark the Highway of Heroes from Trenton to Toronto. Folks like myself growing up along the stretch of Highway fondly recall shops closing and community members gathering along the bridges to mark the fallen who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, I've had the opportunity and honour to join Kerry, along with the Premier and our parliamentary assistant for the Minister of Environment to mark this sport and cleanup. I'd like to thank all the remarkable volunteers for honouring our brave men and women for taking part in the cleanup and I would encourage everyone to do it this season. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much. That concludes our member's statements for this morning. I beg to inform the House the following document has been tabled, a report entitled Expenditure Monitor 2020-2021 Q3 from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario. I understand that the Premier has a point of order that he wishes to raise. Do, Mr. Speaker, and thank you. And if you ask Mr. Speaker, I believe you'll find there'll be unanimous consent to observe a moment of silence recognizing all Ontarians that have been impacted by COVID-19 on this national day of observance. Premier, seeking unanimous consent of the House for a moment's silence to remember all the Ontarians, Canadians who have been impacted by COVID-19 on this national day of observance. Agreed? Agreed. Members rise. Thank you very much. Members may take their seats. I understand the Leader of the Opposition has a point of order. Thank you, Speaker. As I've done every Thursday, I seek unanimous consent for the House to observe a moment of silence to pay tribute to the 75 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 over the past week. The Leader of the Opposition is seeking unanimous consent of the House for a moment's silence to pay tribute to the 75 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 over the past week. Agreed? Agreed. Agreed. Again, I'll ask members to rise. Thank you. Members may take their seats. Member for Brampton North has a point of order. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to bring forward a motion requiring the government to implement paid sick days legislation to help protect workers in Brampton and across Ontario from COVID-19. And so no one has to make the difficult choice between staying home when sick and being able to pay the bills. Member for Brampton North is seeking unanimous consent of the House to bring forward a motion requiring the government to implement paid sick days legislation to help protect workers. Agreed? Agreed. I heard a no.